Timothy tung jen young



y 8, 1965 TIMOTHY TUNG JEN YOUNG 25,783

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR A BICYCLE OR THE LIKE Original Filed April 30. 1962H g J no m u N m a I Q I N a N 9 N 5 x INVENTOR.

,ATTORNEY United States Patent 25 783 DRIVE MEcnANrsM FOR A BICYCLE- ORTHE LIKE Timothy Tung Jen Young, 1211 Olive St., San Carlos, Calif.

Original No. 3,083,985, dated Apr. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 191,172, Apr. 30,1962. Application for reissue May 18, 1964, Ser. No. 380,725

3 Claims. (Cl. 280-258) Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in theoriginal patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matterprinted in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

The present application is a reissue of Patent No. 3,083,985 that is acontinuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 115,698,which was filed in the United States Patent Office on June 8, 1961, nowabandoned.

In the conventional crank device for a bicycle, or the like, the crankdrive must be moved through complete rotations; however, the cyclist isable to impart an effective driving thrust to each pedal only during theinitial downward movement or" the pedal, and at this time the knee ofthe cyclist is bent with the resultant reduction of force delivered tothe pedal. As each pedal ascends, no driving thrust is imparted to sucha pedal, and the cyclist must stretch the legs all the way back, andwithout any effective work being done in the angular displacement of theascending pedal.

Thus, there is only an intermittent effective drive, even though thecyclist pedals continuously, and there is considerable loss of elfort.

As the cardinal object of this invention, it is proposed to provide adrive mechanism for a bicycle, or the like, which will be more efficientthan the conventional crank drive, and whereby the cyclist can delivereffective thrust in a substantially continuous path during each powerstroke imparted by the cyclist. The drive mechanism has identical unitsdisposed on each side of the supporting frame of the bicycle, or thelike, and as one unit is depressed the other unit is elevated and viceversa. Each of these drive units is provided with a foot rest that isadapted to be pressed down by the cyclist, with the power stroke of oneunit following the power stroke of the other unit in succession,delivering a continuous propelling force to the bicycle, or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drive mechanism in theform of an attachment, which may be readily attached to a conventionalbicycle, or the like, without requiring any change in the latter, withthe possible exception of removing the crank arms.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification continues.The novel features of the invention will be particularly set forth inthe appended claims.

DRAWING For a better understanding of the invention, reference should behad to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a bicycle equipped with myimproved drive mechanism, and looking at the right side of the bicycle;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional views taken along the verticaland hoizontal planes 2-2 and 33, respectively, of FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are vertical sectional views taken along thelongitudinal planes 4-4 and 55, respectively, of FIGURE 3, and showing adriven lever and associated parts on the right and left sides,respectively, of the bicycle.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should beunderstood that various changes, or modifications, may be made withinthe scope of the annexed claims, Without departing from the spiritthereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawing in detail, I havedisclosed a conventional bicycle having a supporting frame A having anupper tube 16, a lower front tube 11 that is inclined relative to thehorizontal, and a rear upwardly extending tube 12. Moreover, thesupporting frame has a front fork 14 journalled therein and this fork isprovided with a front wheel 15 which may be steered by handle bars 16.Upper and lower rear forks 17 and 18, respectively, of the supportingframe A has an axle 19 mounted thereon for a rear wheel 20.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the tubes 11 and 12 and the fork 13 provide asupport for a transverse bearing tube 21. It will be apparent from bothFIGURES 1 and 3 that a drive shaft 22 is journalled in this hearing tubeand has a drive sprocket 23 fixed thereto. The ground-engaging rearwheel 20 is provided with a driven sprocket 24 on its axle 19, and achain 25 is trained over the drive and driven sprockets 23 and 24,respectively so that rotation or" the drive sprocket will actuate thedriven sprocket to propel the bicycle, or the like.

The parts thus far described are conventional, and now I shall set forthmy improved drive mechanism in detail. It will be seen from FIGURES land 3 that an attachment shaft 26 is mounted on the supporting frame Ato extend transversely thereof. For the purpose of mounting the shaft26, I have secured a bracket 27 to the upper tube It) and the lowerfront tube 11 by clamping bolts 28 (see FIGURE 2).

A pair of drive levers B are swingably disposed on the transverseattachment shaft 26 (see FIGURES 1 to 3, inclusive), one on the rightside of the supporting frame A and the other on the left side thereof,and each drive lever is formed with a segmental gear 29. Moreover, Iprovide a pair of foot rests C, one being disposed on each side of thesupporting frame A, and each foot rest C is secured to an adjacent drivelever B, whereby each foot rest may be depressed to impart acorresponding swinging movement to its respective drive lever. Thesefoot rests may be actuated by a cyclist riding on a seat 30.

In order to interconnect the drive levers B so that when one isdepressed the other will be elevated and vice versa, I have provided acable 31. The intermediate portion of this cable is trained over apulley 32 which is mounted on the bracket 27 for turning movement. Theend sections of the cable 31 pass around a pair of pulleys 33 that aremounted on the transverse attachment shaft 26, with the outer ends ofthe cable being anchored by studs 34, or the like, to the drive leversB. The arrangement is such that when one foot rest C is depressed, theother foot rest Will be raised by the cable.

It will be observed that a pair of driven levers D are mounted on thedrive shaft 22 of the bearing tube 21, one on the right side of thesupporting frame A and the other on the left side thereof. These drivenlevers are journalled for turning relative to the drive shaft 22, andeach has a segmental gear 35 meshing with the segmental gear 29 of thedrive lever B on the same side of the supporting frame A. Thus thedriven levers D may be swung by the drive levers B.

As clearly illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5, a pair of ratchet wheels 36are fixed to the drive shaft 22 of the bearing tube 21, one on each sideof the supporting frame A, with the ratchet wheels being disposedadjacent to the driven levers. A pair of spring-pressed pawls 37 areprovided, each being carried by one of the driven levers D andoperatively engaging with an adjacent ratchet 3 wheel 36 to turn thedrive shaft 22 and thereby propel the bicycle, or the like, through theinstrumentality of the sprockets 23 and 24 and the chain 25, when thedriven levers are swung in a clockwise direction in FIGURE 1 by thedrive levers.

The transverse attachem-ent shaft 26 and the drive levers B are arrangedat an elevation above and in front of the drive shaft 22 of the bearingtube 21, with the foot rests C extending rearwardly from the transverseattachment shaft 26. This arrangement will be found convenient for thecyclist in operating the foot rests. The latter may be readily depressedby the cyclist in an efficient manner with the heel or ball, or both, ofthe feet. Each foot rest may be swung downwardly from the raisedposition, as shown on the left side of the supporting frame A in FIGURE1, into the depressed position illustrated by the foot rest on the rightside of the supporting frame in the same view. Each foot rest may bedepressed in a continuous path, with force being applied thereto by thecyclist during the entire downward stroke of the foot rest beingdepressed by the cyclist.

In FIGURES l, 3, 4 and 5, I show a stop 38 on each of the driven leversD that projects into the path of the adjacent foot rest C to limitdownward swinging movement of the latter.

It will be apperciated, of course, that the radii of the segmental gears29 and 35 may be changed to give different speeds and power or drivingratios that may be desired. Also, by using elliptical lobes on thesesegmental gears advantage may be gained in acceleration. When suchacceleration is gained, greater angular displacement is gained byshorter angular linear distance.

I claim:

1. The combination with a bicycle, or the like, having a supportingframe provided with a transverse bearing tube, a drive shaft journalledin this bearing tube and having a drive sprocket fixed thereto, aground-engaging wheel provided with a driven sprocket, and a chaintrained over the drive and driven sprockets so that rotation of thedrive [sprockets] sprocket will actuate the driven sprocket to propelthe bicycle, or the like, of a drive mechanism comprising:

(a) an attachment shaft mounted on the supporting frame to extendtransversely thereof;

(b) a pair of drive levers swingably disposed on the transverseattachment shaft, one on the right side of the supporting frame and theother on the left side thereof, and each drive lever being formed with asegmental gear;

(c) a pair of foot rests, one being disposed on each side of thesupporting frame, and each foot rest being secured to an adjacent drivelever, whereby each foot rest may be depressed to impart a correspondingswinging movement to its respective drive lever;

(d) means interconnecting the drive levers so that when one is depressedthe other will be elevated and vice versa;

(e) a pair of driven levers mounted on the drive shaft of the bearingtube, one on the right side of the supporting frame and the other on theleft side thereof, and these driven levers being journalled for turningrelative to the drive shaft of the bearing tube;

(f) each driven lever having a segmental gear meshing with the segmentalgear of the drive lever on the same side of the supporting frame,whereby the driven levers may be swung by the drive levers;

( g) a pair of ratchet wheels fixed to the drive shaft of the bearingtube, one on each side of the supporting frame, with the ratchet wheelsbeing disposed adjacent to the driven levers;

(h) and a pair of spring-pressed pawls, each being carried by one of thedriven levers and operatively engaging with an adjacent ratchet wheel toturn the drive shaft of the bearing tube and thereby propel the bicycle,or the like, through the instrumentality of the sprockets and chain,when the driven levers are swung in one direction by the drive levers;

(i) the transverse attachment shaft and the drive levers being arranged[at an elevation above and] in front of the drive shaft of the bearingtube, with the foot rests extending rearwardly from the transverseattachment shaft.

2. The combination with a bicycle, or the like, having a supportingframe provided with a transverse bearing tube, a drive shaft journalledin this bearing tube and having a drive sprocket fixed thereto, aground-engaging wheel provided with a driven sprocket, and a chaintrained over the drive and driven sprockets so that rotation of thedrive sprocket will actuate the driven sprocket to propel the bicycle,or the like, of a drive mechanism comprising:

(a) an attachment shaft mounted on the supporting frame to extendtransversely thereof;

(b) a pair of drive levers swingably disposed on the transverseattachment shaft, one on the right side of the supporting frame and theother on the left side thereof, and each drive lever being formed with asegmental gear;

(0) a pair of foot rests, one being disposed on each side of thesupporting frame, and each foot rest being secured to an adjacent drivelever, whereby each foot rest may be depressed to impart a correspondingswinging movement to its respective drive lever;

((1) means interconnecting the drive levers so that when one isdepressed the other will be elevated and vice versa;

(e) a pair of driven levers mounted on the drive shaft of the bearingtube, one on the right side of the supporting frame and the other on theleft side thereof, and these driven levers being journalled for turningrelative to the drive shaft of the bearing tube;

(f) each driven lever having a segmental gear meshing with the segmentalgear of the drive lever on the same side of the supporting frame,whereby the driven levers may be swung by the drive levers;

(g) a pair of ratchet wheels fixed to the drive shaft of the bearingtube, one on each side of the supporting frame, with the ratchet Wheelsbeing disposed adjacent to the driven levers;

(h) a pair of spring-pressed pawls, each being carried by one of thedriven levers and operatively engaging with an adjacent ratchet wheel toturn the drive shaft of the bearing tube and thereby propel the bicycle,or the like, through the instrumentality of the sprockets and chain,when the driven levers are swung in one direction by the drive levers;

(i) and a bracket secured to [upper and lower tubes] at least one tubeof the supporting frame;

(j) the transverse attachment shaft being mounted on this bracket forsupport thereby.

3. The combination with a bicycle, or the like, having a supportingframe provided with a transverse bearing tube, a drive shaft journalledin this bearing tube and having a drive sprocket fixed thereto, aground-engaging wheel provided with a driven sprocket, and a chaintrained over the drive and driven sprockets so that rotation of thedrive sprockets will actuate the driven sprocket to propel the bicycle,or the like, of a drive mechanism comprising:

(a) an attachment shaft mounted on the supporting frame to extendtransversely thereof;

(b) a pair of drive levers swingably disposed on the transverseattachment shaft, one on the right side of the supporting frame and theother on the left side thereof, and each drive lever being formed with asegmental gear;

(c) a pair of foot rests, one being disposed on each side of thesupporting frame, and each foot rest being secured to an adjacent drivelever, whereby each foot rest may be depressed to impart a correspondingswinging movement to its respective drive lever;

5 6 (d) means interconnecting the drive levers so that when thesprockets and chain, when the driven levers are one is depressed theother will be elevated and vice swung in one direction by the drivelevers; versa; (i) and each of the driven levers being provided with (e)a pair of driven levers mounted on the drive shaft a stop that projectsinto the path of the adjacent foot of the bearing tube, one on the rightside of the sup- 5 Test to limit downward Swinging movement of theporting frame and the other on the left side thereof,

and these driven levers being journalled for turning References Cited bthe Examiner relative to the drive shaft of the bearing tube; y

The following references, cited by the Examiner, are of l t l h' l ig gf g g gggi g i gg i fi s: 10 record in the patented file of thls patentor the original patent.

same side of the supporting frame, whereby the UNITED STATES PATENTSdriven levers may be swung by the drive levers;

(g) a pair of ratchet wheels fixed to the drive shaft of 418,963 1/90stofler 230258 the bearing tube, one on each side of the support- 156519 6/00 Frelze 280258 ing frame, with the ratchet wheels beingdisposed ad- FOREIGN PATENTS jacent to the driven levers; 96,135 1/20Germany- (h) a pair of spring-pressed pawls, each being carried 459 00 115 Great Britain by one of the driven levers and operatively engag- 44453 2 49 1 1 ing with an adjacent ratchet wheel to turn the drive 20shaft of the bearing tube and thereby propel the MILTON BUCHLER PrimaryExammerbicycle, or the like, through the instrumentality of KENNETH H.BETTS, Examiner.

